Mealybugs are like a coronavirus. They spread quickly from plant to plant and sometimes it can be difficult to get rid of them.
Mealybugs are infact insects and considered sap sucking pests in gardening. They are soft-bodied insects covered with a white, waxy, cottony material. Dissolving this protective waxy layer will kill these mealy bugs. There are different entomological types of mealy bugs but in home gardening we are mainly concerned with root mealy bugs or ground mealybugs and the sap sucking leaf mealybugs. This is a complete step by step guide.
If you see mealybugs and ants together, then this is a serious issue and difficult to eradicate them. Because they have a mutual symbiotic relationship and these ants protect the bugs from predators and parasites. This also applies to aphids. The ants, especially the fire ants help mealybugs by carrying them to the tips of growing plants and in return they get to eat the honeydew excreted out of their anus.
Having said that, let’s look into the treatments: Please follow the same order for treatment and resort to the last option only if you fail.
10. MOVE YOUR INFECTED PLANT AWAY from the other plants because it can spread quickly from one plant to another.
9. PRUNING: This is the simplest treatment especially if a group of mealy bugs are concentrated at the tips of the branches. Remove those branches and dispose them carefully or burn those branches if possible.
8. BUG BLASTER METHOD: This means spraying water, preferably warm water with high pressure to dislodge the mealy bugs from the plants. This can be used to treat if the infestation is not so high and if there are no ants seen around them, else they tend to return back to the plant in no time.
7. SOAP WATER: This is another simple method if the mealybug load is not so high. Add 1 teaspoon of dish wash liquid soap or even some shampoo to 1 litre of water and mix well before spraying on the plant. This again works by dislodging the mealybugs from the plant. But do not use it when they exist together with ants.
6. NEEM OIL: This is a universal most commonly used broad spectrum pesticide in organic gardening. 1 teaspoon of Neem oil per litre of water + some 10 drops of liquid dish wash soap actually works for mealybugs. But remember to completely drench the plant with this spray and also spray on the top soil surrounding the plant. This solution may take time to completely eradicate the bugs and you may have to repeat this every week until eradication. Please perform a patch test on a leaf before spraying on the entire plant. Patch test means spraying on a single leaf or branch to see the potency of your pesticide. If its wilts or damaged in 1 to 2 hours, then you need to dilute it further, so that your plant is not harmed.
5. ALCOHOL: Do not use any alcohol specially ethanol and methanol because they can damage your plant. Safest is the rubbing alcohol which is 70% Isopropyl Alcohol. This works 100% on mealybugs. Do not worry if you do not have this rubbing alcohol. I will show you some easy alternatives shortly. So, How to use this on mealy bugs. If infestation is very little, just take a cotton swab and soak it with rubbing alcohol and wipe the mealy bugs. If infestation is high, then some recommend spraying directly on the plant using a sprayer. But it can damage some plants. To be safe, its better to dilute this with water in 1:1 ratio and spray on the plants. Alcohol dissolves the waxy coating of mealybugs almost instantly and they die in no time. Repeat this if required after one week. But remember to perform a patch test before spraying.
4. THE COCKTAIL METHOD: In this method, we mix up many ingredients to make a cocktail solution. Take 500 ml water in a spray can. Add half to 1 teaspoon of Neem Oil. Then You add one cup or 250 ml of rubbing alcohol. If you do not have this, you can use a hand sanitizer or even after shave lotion. Then add about 10 drops of liquid soap to this. This is the most powerful mixture to destroy all the mealy bugs in one shot. But please perform the patch test on a leaf before spraying on the entire plant.
3. Diatomaceous Earth or DE powder: Reserve this as the next organic option, because if it’s a flowering or fruiting plant, pollinators may be harmed specially if you sprinkle this powder on flowers. This powder is particularly useful if you also have ants in symbiosis with the mealybugs. Sprinkling or dusting this powder will take care of both these insects.
2. INSECTICIDES like Malathion, carbaryl and other organo-phosphorous compounds kill these bugs. But the use of chemicals is not recommended. If only one or few plants are infested, destroying your plant is another option recommended by some gardeners so that it doesn’t spread to the other healthy plants.
1. HYDROGEN PEROXIDE: This is great especially for root or ground mealy bugs. Use 2 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide or 1 cup of 6% peroxide per litre of water and water your plant with this solution and repeat after a week if necessary.
Diatomaceous earth also called Diatomite or in short DE, is rightly called MAGIC POWDER because it has got several important uses not only in gardening but also in medical field and multiple other uses.
This is a naturally occurring organic substance obtained from certain natural rocks. It is made up of fossilized diatoms. Diatoms are single-celled organisms having a silica rich shells. This powder looks and feels like chalk powder and has great porosity and abrasive properties. This is not so expensive and you can purchase this online from HERE!
Now, lets list out the top 7 uses of diatomaceous earth in gardening.
- Ant Control
Why is it so important to control ants in your garden? Actually Mealybugs and Aphids have a symbiotic relationship with Ants which protect these pests from predators and also carry them to the plant tips. The Ants in turn get the honeydew sugars excreted out of their anus as their gift.
How to use DE for ant control? Sprinkle DE dust over the infested plants and also over anthills and you should get great results. - Get Rid of Slugs and Snails
These creatures eat away a lot of your plants in your garden overnight. To get rid of slugs and snails, apply DE powder in a circle around the plant and when their soft bodies come in contact with the powder, the sharp silica particles inflict tiny cuts on the skin. The dehydrating effect of the powder causes them to lose too much fluid and they eventually die. - In Compost
Bin
Maggots in your unfinished compost pile can be a nuisance. Just sprinkle this powder in your compost pile and get rid of maggots organically without using any chemical pesticides. - Mix it in your Potting Soil
Although it doesn’t have much to offer by way of nutrition, it has the properties to hold the nutrients from fertilizers and then offer it as a slow release to the roots. Plus it also makes your soil well draining and well aerated. - Prevent
Rodents and Animals from Entering your Garden
How to use it for this purpose? Do You know most rodents and animals run away from the smell of citrus and peppermint?
You can use small containers with DE powder and add few drops of the essential oils of lemon or peppermint and keep these near the entry points of these animals. The DE powder absorbs these oils and retains the smell for a longer period of time unlike some cotton balls or a piece of cloth soaked with these oils. - Control Other
Insects like Flies, Ticks and Mites
These are not only troublesome but can transmit diseases in humans and pets and hence dusting DE powder on your plants and around them will keep your garden clean from these insects.
1. As an Organic Pesticide
Diatomaceous earth is a non-toxic way to control pests in the garden. It is very
effective against all types of pests on your plants like aphids, mites, thrips,
mealy bugs, caterpillars and almost every pest. The mechanism of action is it’s
a contact poison which kills pests by extreme dehydration.
How to use Diatomaceous earth on plants?
First of all Water your plants for the day. Then dust the plants with an
applicator or just sprinkle the powder on your plants. This will help the powder stick to plant
surfaces. Since dehydration is the main mechanism of action, moisture on your
plants renders the powder ineffective and also in rainy season – apply when
there is no rain.
To avoid killing beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies, do not sprinkle on flowers.
So, there you
have it folks. With DE powder and neem oil, you can eliminate most of the pests
in your garden safely and organically without using any harmful chemicals.
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Happy Gardening!
The greenhouse millipede, also known as the hothouse millipede, short-flange millipede, or the garden millipede, is a common creepy pest in your garden that can cause severe damage to emergent vegetable seedlings and young plants.
How do I identify These Millipedes?
There are few types of these millipedes with hundreds of legs and can be white or brown or black in color. Unlike their cousin, the centipede, millipedes are not carnivores, instead they eat dead and rotting vegetation and they hide in moist places like your soil mulch layer, debris or inside the top layer of soil. They prefer darkness and moisture and hence they are more common in rainy season.
Are Millipedes Poisonous or Venomous?
Do not be
too scared, Millipedes, unlike centipedes, are not venomous and are generally
considered to be non-poisonous. However, there are some millipede species that release
some fluids that can cause irritation to human skin. Hence its always better to
wear garden gloves and employ safety precautions.
How do I kill or get rid off these
garden pests?
There are many solutions to control millipedes. We will list out these one
by one in 5 steps:
5. Visible Millipedes can be smashed or can be swept with a broom or a vacuum cleaner and can be disposed. But this is difficult because most of these are not visible and are found hiding under the soil or mulch layer.
4. Sticky Traps and Light Traps are another option that attract and trap these millipedes. But these are not available easily.
3. Chemical Pesticides: We will just name these pesticides because, we will not use any chemicals in our garden, specially vegetable gardening. The chemical pesticides that work are Propoxur, Cyfluthrin, Pyrethrins, Piperonyl butoxide, Deltamethrin, Cypermethrin, bifenthrin, etc.
2. Chicken and Cats: Before we proceed to our natural remedies, we will discuss on chicken. Chicken love to eat these type of insects and pests. Keeping a few hens can do wonders to get rid of these millipedes and even other pests in your garden.Cats, though they do not eat millipedes, they may chase them, play with them and smash them to some extent.
- Natural and Organic Pesticides. The mechanism of action of any pesticide whether organic or inorganic chemical is Systemic effect which can be slow in action and Contact poisons which kill the pests when they come in contact with it.
- Diatomaceous Earth is first in the list: This white powder is easily available at many garden stores and even online. Its completely harmless to people and pets.
- Borax: Similar to Diatomacous Earth, Borax is derived from boric acid and dries the millipedes out and kills them. It also acts as a stomach poison that will kill millipedes if ingested. It’s completely safe to humans. Just sprinkle the boric acid over the areas of infestation and do not water it for atleast 24 hours. You can check out my detailed video and article on boric acid or borax powder for plants and garden.
- Wood Ash: The action is similar to borax powder which dries out the soil and the pests. I also have a detailed video and article on the benefits of wood ash in gardening.